The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed its satisfaction with the Federal High Court’s ruling in Abuja regarding the deadlines for political party primaries and other electoral matters.
The party described the ruling as a confirmation of the concerns it had previously expressed regarding specific provisions in the guidelines released by the electoral commission in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.
The party had expressed its strong opposition to certain aspects of the regulations, particularly those concerning the conduct of party primaries and the timelines for membership registration, in a statement signed by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
According to the party, the court’s stance on certain disputed provisions serves as a confirmation of its previous objections.
The statement stated, “The Court’s decision on these issues, including those that directly contradict the Constitution, is therefore a welcome vindication of our position.”
The ADC also asserted that the judgement, which eliminated restrictions that could impede politicians from participating in elections on alternative political platforms, was a positive development for Nigeria’s democracy.
The party contended that the disputed guideline appeared to be intended to discourage legislators from departing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We were of the opinion at the time that the purpose of that specific restriction was to prevent individuals from defecting from the ruling party, APC.”
“We are confident that a mass exodus from the ruling party will occur in the near future, as the court has rejected it,” the statement concluded.